Romans 13 • The Gospels teach us that Jesus Christ “suffered under ...

13:10 Augustine put it succinctly. “Love God, and do as you please.” A person who
loves God will do nothing to displease Him. And a person who loves others will do nothing
to harm them. (Victor Bible Background Commentary)
Application: We cannot be indifferent to the needs of others.
The law of love supersedes both religious and civil laws. The law of love has no
loopholes. The law of love goes beyond indifference. Whenever love demands it, we are
to go beyond human legal requirements and imitate the God of love. (See Handbook of
Bible Application)
As citizens of heaven we ought to be ideal citizens on earth.
III. As Christians we should be ready for Christ's return. 13:11-14
A. 13:11 We should always be ready for Christ's return.
B. 13:12-14 Spurgeon explains this passage in very strong words:
The rags of sin must come off if we put on the robe of Christ. There must be a taking
away of the love of sin! There must be a renouncing of the practices and habits of sin, or
else a man cannot be a Christian! It will be an idle attempt to try and wear religion as a
sort of celestial overall over the top of old sins. Link to original sermon here.
Matthew 25:13 (NKJV) “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son
of Man is coming.
James 5:8-9 (NKJV) 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at
hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is
standing at the door!
1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV) 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we
shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV) 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
C. 13:14 This verse had a big impact on Augustine who we mentioned earlier:
Augustine. Augustine was born in A.D. 354 in North Africa. Although he had a Christian
mother, he led a wild life that was restless and without peace. In his search for peace he
became a disciple of the Manichaeans and later studied Neo-Platonic philosophy. Under
the influence of Ambrose, bishop of Milan, Augustine was introduced to Christianity, but he
experienced the “terrible power of sin and his own inability to overcome his sinful desires.”
Upon reading Romans 13:14, Augustine experienced release from his burdens and was
converted. He immediately began a diligent study of Paul’s epistles, wherein he had
experienced the grace of God. (Moody Handbook of Theology)